Would You Like One Hump or Two?

Stephen is one of the four year old camels in the herd. He stands tall and proud against a pale blue sky as if he’s posing for the picture. Photo by Teri Nehrenz.

Mesquite residents and visitors to the Las Vegas area can begin getting ready for a very unique encounter with the most ‘un-beastly’ beasts around. Guy Seeklus has moved his entire herd of camels from Bellingham, Washington to Bunkerville, NV and is gearing up to open a Camel Safari on Mar. 1.

Visitors to the Camel Safari will get a hands-on tour of the camel farm where they will see both Bactrian and Dromedary camels or they can take a Segway tour of the 149-acre property nestled along the Virgin River with beautiful mountain views.

Guy Seeklus is the owner of Camel Safari. He first became interested in camels in 2010 when his daughter began urging him to start raising llamas. Seeklus did his research and found Alpacas were much less aggressive. The research and love of his Alpacas eventually led him to discover camels. Camels had much better personalities, were very comfortable with human interaction and were easier to train. Not long afterward he purchased his first female Bactrian camel, Lexi and of course you can’t have just one camel.

Seeklus showers this baby Bactrian camel with affection during feeding time and the babies look at him, not as dad, but as mom.

He was instantly enchanted with his new found passion. He found them to be extremely cooperative by nature. Seeklus was so enamored with these gentle giants that he became passionate about building a business that would allow the general public a chance to interact with these wonderful creatures.

Camel Safari tours and the camel encounters each last an hour and are guaranteed to delight animal lovers of all ages. Seeklus is extremely well-versed in talking about his herd and is eager to share his vast knowledge of all seven varieties of camelids. From Alpacas to the wild Bactrian camel of which there are only 1,000 left in the world, you’ll learn fascinating facts such as where they originated which will surprise and amaze you. Seeklus will also dispel many myths you may have learned about camels such as where they store their water; it’s not in their humps like many people think.

You will find yourself charmed when you visit these majestic creatures that as Seeklus says, “…are like sponges that will soak up as much love as you’re willing to give them.”

The adoration for both man and beast is evident when you see Seeklus and his camels together. The gentle nudges, snuggles and kisses they share can melt your heart and is an experience you won’t want to miss; they are more than willing to share the love. You can learn more about the camels and Segways by checking out the website at www.camelsafari.com.